Wright, Elam Windom, Jr.

Date of birth:: October 20th, 1920
Date of death:: December 30th, 2002
Buried on:: Arlington National Cemetery
Plot: 66. Grave: 7185.
Nationality:: American

Biography

Servicenumber 01032129.

Elam Wright served from April 8th, 1936 until June 30th, 1971 with the U.s. Army and finally reached the rank of Colonel.

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Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: 1st Lieutenant
Unit:: Company G, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division "The Rock of the Marne", U.S. Army
Awarded on:: October 8th, 1945

citation:
"For extraordinary heroism in action on 17 December 1944, near Kaisersberg, France.
Lieutenant Wright led a fifteen-man platoon in an assault on steep, hill positions, ringed by concrete machine gun emplacements and covered by 88mm fire. Advancing ahead of his men, despite bullets which struck his M-1 rifle, he knocked out a machine gun at thirty yards range with rifle grenades, capturing eight Germans. He then forced the surrender of four enemy soldiers manning a second machine gun position, and charge toward the crest of the hill to envelope a double machine gun dugout from the rear, driving off its crew with machine pistol fire."

Headquarters, Seventh U.S. Army, General Orders No. 587 (October 8, 1945).

Bronze Star Medal (BSM)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: 1st Lieutenant
Unit:: Company G, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division "The Rock of the Marne", U.S. Army

For action performed on 23 January 1945, near Ostheim/Haut-Rhin department, region Alsace, France.

Citation unavailable.

Sources

- TAGGART, D. G., History of the Third Infantry Division in World War II, The Battery Press, Nashville, United States, 1987.
- Headquarters, Seventh U.S. Army, General Orders No. 587 (October 8, 1945)
- homeofheroes.com